Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Han Fei didn't ask any further questions, but simply nodded slightly, got up, and pushed open the door to leave.

The door closed gently behind him, and the room fell silent again. Zhou Wenqing leaned against the pillow, listening to the footsteps fading away in the corridor. He closed his eyes and swallowed the sigh back down his throat.

He knew Fusu's personality all too well, having been by his side for so long.

He was educated from a young age, possessed a kind heart, and was resilient in nature. He was honest, open, and loyal, but he was too harsh on himself and always took the blame for everything. He lacked the "frank ruthlessness" that a person in power should have.

It doesn't matter.

A faint self-deprecating smile appeared on Zhou Wenqing's lips.

As his husband, what he has probably never lacked along the way is this kind of "frank cruelty".

...You'll learn eventually.

He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, his eyes were clear.

Before long, two soft, rhythmic knocks came from outside the door, and the boy's steady voice came through the wooden door.

"Sir, I've arrived."

"Come in."

The wooden door was gently pushed open, and Fusu walked in slowly. He was dressed in a plain brown outfit, and the thin layer of sweat on his forehead had been wiped away, with only his temples slightly damp. It was clear that he had just rushed over from the martial arts arena and had specially tidied his appearance.

He acted as if nothing was different from usual, finding a place to sit down on his own before the teacher could speak, without the slightest hint of awkwardness or restraint. Only his ramrod-straight spine betrayed his restrained tension.

"Master, what brings you here?"

Seeing his expression, Zhou Wenqing sighed softly.

"gentlemen?"

Fusu became increasingly tense, a tension that was a struggle to maintain composure, yet one that couldn't conceal a hint of panic.

He pursed his dry lips, subconsciously avoiding Zhou Wenqing's gaze, his eyes lowered, and he tugged at his clothes, his voice barely audible and tense:

"But...but is there something wrong with my attire? I'm afraid you've been waiting too long, sir. I haven't had time to tidy myself up, and I suppose I've been somewhat disrespectful. Perhaps I should go change and explain to you when I return..."

What nonsense are they all spouting?

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Wenqing casually picked up a folding fan from the side, slightly tilted the fan ribs, and lightly tapped him on the forehead.

"Snapped!"

"ah!?"

Fusu was stunned for a moment, then raised his hand to cover the spot on his forehead where he had been hit. It didn't hurt, but he was a little dazed.

The master always treated him with kindness and composure, mostly through words and deeds, patiently guiding him; but towards Hu Hai, he often tapped the unintelligent little head because of his stubbornness and slowness.

Such an intimate yet slightly admonishing gesture struck him so hard that he was momentarily stunned. He stopped speaking, staring blankly up at Zhou Wenqing, his eyes filled with confusion and helplessness.

"Ha, that's right."

Zhou Wenqing chuckled softly, a look of satisfaction appearing on his face.

"I'm not a man-eating tiger. Do you think I'll devour you alive if you look at me?"

Fusu opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

He lowered his hand from his forehead, sat up properly, but his gaze remained lowered as he desperately suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, not daring to meet his husband's eyes.

"Fusu." Zhou Wenqing sighed helplessly and called out softly, "Look at me."

Fusu's fingertips curled slightly. After hesitating for a long time, he slowly raised his head and met the master's eyes.

Those eyes remained calm and clear, without a trace of blame or worry, only a gentle smile and a water-like tolerance, softly soothing all his unease.

With just one glance, he could no longer hold back; his eyes stung with tears, and his voice trembled slightly.

"……gentlemen."

"Yes, I'm here," Zhou Wenqing replied calmly.

"Master, I... I didn't mean to avoid you, it's just..." His voice was broken, as if he were struggling with himself, "I need some time. I don't want to cause you any more trouble. I originally wanted to wait until I was ready before seeing you, but..."

At this point, Fusu's chest heaved violently, all his bracing dissipated, and he slumped to his shoulders, no longer displaying the composure of a young master, only filled with utter defeat.

His voice was dry and hoarse as he desperately suppressed a sob in his throat: "Sir, am I so useless that I've made you worry again?"

He really didn't want to cry.

Fusu told himself that his master had woken up and was alright. He should pull himself together and take good care of his master, instead of acting like a child with red eyes.

He knew that wallowing in self-blame and remorse was useless and would only cause his still-healing husband more worry. But the scene of the attack in the mountains that day kept replaying in his mind.

Fusu always felt that if he hadn't been so willful and hadn't stayed by his master's side in the carriage, his master wouldn't have caught a cold, they wouldn't have rushed through the checkpoint, and they wouldn't have fallen into the ambush trap.

This self-blame is like a fine thorn, deeply embedded in my heart, impossible to pull out or shake off.

He also knew that blaming himself was useless, and that the only thing he could do was to make amends.

Therefore, he worked even harder to hone his martial arts skills, settle the wounded soldiers, and inspect the soldiers of the mission, trying to make up for his guilt with one task after another.

Fusu thought that soon, soon, once he had processed those chaotic emotions and was able to face his teacher calmly, he would serve his teacher again, so that his teacher would no longer be distracted by him.

But unexpectedly, before he could adjust, his defenses were completely shattered by the gentle tap from his master.

"well--"

Zhou Wenqing sighed softly and reached out to ruffle Fusu's soft hair.

So it wasn't just self-blame after all...

This child is more resilient and more sensitive than he imagined.

That's good. He was afraid the child would get stuck in a rut. It would be better if he could figure it out on his own, but if he's the only one who can't let go...

"Fusu." Zhou Wenqing withdrew his hand, his gaze falling on Fusu's face, which was straining to hold back tears. "Did you bring that ruler?"

Fusu was suddenly startled, and instantly understood that the master was referring to the ruler that his master had entrusted to him before he became a disciple, which was used to punish his mistakes.

He immediately bowed and replied, "Sir, I have always carried it with me."

"Go get it."

"Yes."

Fusu responded and hurried out of the inner room, almost running. In a short while, he returned with a simple ruler in both hands, his expression respectful, and steadily handed the ruler to Zhou Wenqing.

Zhou Wenqing slowly rose from the couch and stood in the center of the room, his expression serious, displaying the dignity of a teacher.

He took the ruler with his left hand and weighed it slightly in his palm.

It's still heavy.

He guessed that Fusu would definitely carry it with him, but he never expected that he would need it again.

Zhou Wenqing raised his eyes, his tone calm and even: "Give me your hand."

Without the slightest hesitation, Fusu obediently stretched out his hand, palm facing up, his eyes showing no fear, but rather a sense of relief and relaxation.

"Snapped!"

With a crisp sound, Fusu blinked and felt a numbness in his palm, but not much pain. He looked up.

But Zhou Wenqing seemed oblivious, and speaking in a deep voice while holding the ruler:

"This time, I'm punishing you for acting on your own initiative and deliberately avoiding your teacher."

"Since you have accepted me as your master, you should know that it is only natural for a teacher to instruct and guide his disciple. How can this be considered causing trouble? What is the reason for your seclusion and deliberate distancing yourself?"

"Fusu, do you admit it or not?"

Fusu was startled, immediately lowered his head, nodded vigorously, and said in a sincere voice:

"Sir, I admit my mistake."

"Snap—"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a second soft sound came from the ruler.

"This time, I'm telling you, you don't know how to cherish yourself. You've been working tirelessly day and night, overworking yourself. You're so harsh on yourself, yet you don't realize you're exhausted both physically and mentally. How can you accomplish anything? Fusu, do you admit it?"

"This disciple acknowledges his mistake, this disciple knows his error." Fusu replied with lowered eyes, his tone becoming increasingly respectful.

"Snap—"

As the third strike landed, Zhou Wenqing paused, his tone deepening, and he spoke clearly, word by word:

"This time, I'll show you that you're unclear about your principles and can't distinguish between friend and foe."

"Sir?" Fusu looked up in surprise.

Where did this argument originate?

Seeing this, Zhou Wenqing leaned down slightly, looked directly into his eyes, and spoke in a serious tone:

"Did you know that the scouts Li sent to contact the pass commander were intercepted and killed before they even reached him?"

Zhou Wenqing leaned down and looked directly into Fusu's eyes.

"The enemy is cunning and scheming; should you feel ashamed for not being able to guard against them for a thousand days and for not being able to foresee the future?"

"gentlemen……"

Fusu's voice was somewhat hoarse. "This disciple knows his mistake, this disciple... understands."

Zhou Wenqing breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the confusion fade from his eyes and his gaze return to clarity.

"Good that you understand."

He set the ruler aside, beckoned to Fusu, and said with righteous indignation:

"Come here, help your master back to his bed."

"Ah! Sir!"

Fusu was startled to realize that his teacher had just struggled to get up and swung the ruler. His heart tightened, and he quickly stepped forward to carefully support him, blurting out instinctively with heartache, "It's all my fault, I've made you suffer, Master. I..."

"Um?"

Zhou Wenqing raised an eyebrow slightly, glancing sideways at the ruler beside him, and said in a low voice, "Haven't you had enough of the ruler just now?"

Fusu immediately fell silent, his cheeks flushing slightly. He awkwardly shut his mouth, then earnestly promised:

"This disciple dares not. This disciple truly understands now and will never needlessly criticize himself in the future. Master, please rest assured."

"That's more like it."

With Zhou Wenqing firmly supported, he leaned back on the soft couch and nodded in satisfaction.

------

The second post-exam update has been approved. If you're interested, you can go back and take a look (๑╹ヮ╹๑)ﾉ

Chapters 239, 240, and those in the following days with the title changed to "Sky Curtain Side Story" are the ones! (〃＾∇＾)o